Education Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: SB-948
AN ACT ADDRESSING EDUCATION FUNDING AND RACIAL EQUITY IN
Title: CONNECTICUT.
Vote Date: 3/22/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Change of Reference to Appropriations
PH Date: 3/3/2021
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
Education Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
This bill revises the ECS grant and eliminates separate grants for magnet schools, charter
school, vo-ag centers, and Open Choice programs. It also modifies the need student
weighting by increasing the ELL (English language learner) weight from 15% to 25%,
increasing the concentrated poverty weight from 5% to 15% and lowers the concentrated
poverty threshold (thus allowing more towns to benefit from the concentrated poverty weight)
from 75% to 60%.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Charlene Russell-Tucker, Deputy Commissioner, State Department of Education:
We cannot support this proposal as it is currently written. This bill would require fully funding
the ECS formula beginning in Fiscal Year 2022, while allowing for the continued phase out of
districts losing money under the formula. This would require hundreds of millions of additional
dollars in the ECS grant line item that are currently not included in the Governors budget.
This bill also modifies the weightings for the calculation of Free and Reduced Priced Lunch in
the ECS formula for student counts in districts with high concentrations of poverty, while
simultaneously increasing the weight for English Learner students. We cannot dictate how
the funds are used to ensure districts are achieving the intended outcome of providing
additional support to high need students
Sarah Healy Eagan, Acting Child Advocate, Office of the Child Advocate:
This bill increases funding for higher need students and for school districts pursuant to a
more urgent timeframe and will help reduce intolerable disparities in how low-income children
and children of color access education. Our current system, which relies primarily on taxable
local property with a supplement from the state, is exacerbating the gross inequities for
students across Connecticut, worsened during COVID-19.
CWCSEO: Steven Hernndez, Executive Director; Thomas Nuccio, Children and
Families Policy Fellow:
Quality education via equitable funding sources and education support/interventions have the
potential of connecting students of color to meaningful workforce opportunities such as career
paths, college, and training that connects students with lucrative opportunities both for
students and long-term benefits to our economy.
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities: The $639 million racial funding gap
translates to school districts with majority BIPOC populations spending approximately $2,300
less per student than majority white districts. The Commission is supportive of this bills aim
to deal with these inequities, in part by reducing this racial funding gap by 68%.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
State Rep. Jason Rojas, House Majority Leader:
Our current ECS formula is not doing enough to support students based on their need and
makes distinctions based on the type of school a student attends. We must continue to make
the needed adjustments to ensure that we provide equality of opportunity and address the
systemic weaknesses that have long plagued education funding in Connecticut.
State Rep. Kara Rochelle, Assistant Majority Leader:
The proposed changes to the ECS formula would provide Ansonia, for example, with an
estimated $21.8 million in ECS funding, approximately $3.6 million more than current funding
levels. This would allow Ansonia to lower class sizes and improve the teacher to pupil ratio,
better address the social-emotional needs of students, and provide more diverse course
offerings and upgrade outdated technology.
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FaithActs for Education: Jamilah Prince-Stewart, Executive Director; Jason Ayala;
Shaurice Bacon; William Bailey; Suzie Brown; Rev. Gabrielle Beam; Darlene Bowens;
Rev. Trevor Beauford; Pastor Cynthia Bellamy; Julianne Biagioli; James Boursiquot;
Shiomi Bouknight-Galberth; Bishop Charles Brewer III; Victoria Bui; Taryn Calderon;
Seriffa Chaplin; Brandon Clark; Brittanni Cogdell; Tonisha Cohen-King; Solana Davis;
Brittany Coleman; Charlene Colson; Rev. Orsella Cooper-Hughes; Jessica Covington;
Bishop John Diamond; Shineika Fareus; Dick Ferguson; Sonia Fitzgerald; Bob Mercer;
Bishop Randall Furlow; Pastor Warren Godbolt; Rev. Daylan Greer; Jasmin Guevara;
Pastor Thomas Hayes; Robyn Handy; Soncerria Holland; William Howery; Willie Moye;
Rita Jackson; Tyre Jackson; Louis Johnson; Pastor Wesley Johnson; Judith Keenan;
Jonathan Joines; Kevin Knight; Alyse Lemon; Rev. Dr. James B. Logan; Keyla Medina;
Bishop William Marshall; Pastor Carl McCluster; Bria McCullough; Mary McPherson;
Rev. Geraldine McCullough; Pastor William McCullough; Amaryllis Medina;
Minister Willie Medina; Kyle Mendelson; Lisa Mendelson; Phoebe Mendelson;
Chantel Mendez; Robert Middleton; Shannon Mitchell; Overseer Kenneth Moales;
Sonia Moncreiffe; Yadira Morales; Tamara Murphy; Benedicte N'sumbu; Juliet Papius;
Bishop Varrick Nelson; Francis Nunez; Pastor Walter Oliver; Jossie Perez;
Bishop Theodore Plummer; Alisha Price; Thomas Ragusa; Xiomara Ramirez;
Yesenia Robinson; Rev. Cass L. Shaw; Melissa Shein; Shanasia Shelton;
Bishop Eron B. Simmons; Carmen Smith; Lawrence Spivey, Bishop Lorenzo Stewart;
Yolanda Stinson; Tania Sutherland; Nancy Thompson; Pastor Alan B. Thorne;
Pastor Dexter Upshaw, Pastor Jeremy Williams; Simona Williams; Brandon Woods;
Doran Wright; Tomyia Young; Pastor Ulysses Youngblood
Our states education funding system is racist and classist. We spend more on educating
affluent white children than low-income children and children of color. Then we spend even
more to police, prosecute, and incarcerate those who are failed by our education system.
This bill will help make Connecticut a more just and equitable place to live.
Melissa Baez; Janet Brown-Clayton, Executive Director, Highville Charter School;
Andrea Busby, Principal, Odyssey Community School; Cony Castellano; David Lewis;
Darlenne Cazarin Berrios; Melissa Clarke; Bernadette Gillot Lamousnery; Bria Lindsay;
Elvert Eden; Executive Director, Sportsometry; Brother Carl Hardrick; Erika Hendrick;
Kenneth Joseph; Michael Levin; Allison Martin; Marc Michaelson; Carrie Miner;
Dr. Troy A. Monroe, Executive Director; Jumoke Academy Charter School Inc.;
Heather Morales; Chianne Parker; Kely Ana Peguero; Joelle Perna; Claudia Phillips;
Gregory Perry, Educator; Karla Ramirez; Tara Ramlal; Jenn Renkiewicz; Annie Scott;
Barbara Ruggiero, Executive Director, Brass City Charter School; Dao-Saeng-aly;
Ashley Santiago; Jessica Swann, Assistant Principal, Odyssey Community School;
Don Thompson; Tayon Thompson; Jessy Toro; Ana Valencia; Kayla Waters;
Latisha Williams; Rhonda Willigan
Public charter school scholars should receive the same amount of funding as all other public
school students. We teach the same children, from the same dirge, the same priority districts,
the same socioeconomic strata, and the same needs as their peers in public schools, and we
are expected to meet even higher standards than traditional public schools.
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Sheree Baldwin Muhammad, Teacher; Brittany Bouchard, Teacher; Jennifer Brewster;
Sophanaid Bradley, Teacher; Coleen Broderick; Rosanna Chapleau; Kaitlyn Curran;
Shawnett Dawkins; Tycharmel Denny; Brian Donahue; Carina Dozier, Teacher;
Clancy Emanuel; Kristen Estabrook; Rashana Graham, Teacher; Stefanie Hill;
LaToya Ireland; Lauren Jacobs, Teacher; Helen Keith, Teacher; Sara Kovack, Teacher;
Roberta LaBelle-Thomas; Alexander LaForest, Teacher; Fraz Lugay, Teacher;
Judith Nacca, Teacher; CJ Parker, Hearing Youth Voices; Gage Salicki; Daniel Spurr;
Steven Tatum, Teacher, Claudia Tenaglia, Teacher, Fred Thornley, Teacher;
Robert Woods, Teacher; Melissa Yennie St. Juste, Teacher
There is a big difference between the resources available to students in more affluent towns
in comparison to the inner cities. Funding inequities across and within our schools are
preventing our students--particularly English Language Learners, students of color and
children from low-income families--from getting the excellent education they deserve.
Richard Baskin; Kevin Booker; Chrissy Bowman; Barbara Bruno; James Costa;
Nicholas Donahue, President, Nellie Mae Education Foundation; Sauda Efia Baraka;
Lourdes Fonseca; Janis M. Gomez Anderson; Maebel Ailis Haynes; Yukiyo Iida;
Michelle Ignatowicz; Richard Jannelli; Jakob Lopez; Lea Johnson; Chelsea Massey;
Andrew McKinnis; Emely Morales Varona; Genene Morehouse; Nurun Nahar;
Anne E. Mead, DPS Director of Family, School and Community Partnerships;
Tiffany Moyer-Washington; George Nakos; Sophia Nakos; Margaret O'Shea;
Laura Orban; Amy Pilato; Valeria Popolizio; Janiya Riley; Shannon Riley; Lisa Ruffles;
Patty Salvatore; Willie C Smith Jr.; Kent Tedford; Bishop John R. Thompson;
Katherine Tucker; John Whaley
Students deserve to be funded based on what they need in order to be successful in and
outside of the classroom. Students who attend magnet schools, charter schools, and other
choice schools deserve to be funded through a formula that takes their learning needs into
account. Our English Learners, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students
navigating through their education in communities that experience concentrated poverty, all
deserve additional funding at a rate that makes a real, tangible difference.
Superintendents Mark Benigni & Sal Pascarella, Meriden and Danbury Public Schools;
Rachel Chaleski; Kate Conetta; Daisy Torres, President-Elect, CALAS;
Daniel Curtis, Research and Policy Fellow, Connecticut Voices for Children;
Joseph Dibacco, Superintendent, Ansonia Public Schools;
Amy Dowell, Connecticut State Director Education Reform Now Connecticut
Marisa M. Halm, Director, CCA TeamChild Youth Justice Project;
Mike Muszynski, State and Federal Relations Manager; CCM;
Nathan Quesnel, Superintendent, East Hartford Public Schools;
Constance Vickers, Director of Legislative Affairs, City of Bridgeport;
Donald Williams, Executive Director; Connecticut Education Association;
Stacey Zackin, Manager, WORK_SPACE
This bill would fully fund the ECS grant and provide an immediate infusion of funding for the
states neediest students and schools. The changes to the weights for English Learners and
concentrated poverty will drive greater funding to districts for equitable learning opportunities
for our neediest students. Curtis notes that this bill doesnt address how special education
students will get needed resources.
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Lillian Bertram: In school, I was labeled as gifted and talented, and was conditioned to
believe that I was better than students who were never nurtured and fell behind. I dont want
to see another student miss out on opportunities. It is our job to make sure students are
properly funded to seek what spark their academic interest.
Kathleen Callahan, Chair, NASW-CT Education and Legislative Action Network;
Lisa Hammersley, Executive Director School and State Finance Project;
Callie Gale Heilmann, President, Bridgeport Generation Now; Natalie Langlaise;
Emily Hoyle, Connecticut Womens Consortium
David Scata, Executive Director, ConnCASE
Equitable funding is essential for access to resources and improved outcomes. This bill would
help realize the intent of equalization aid in education, leading to a more just and student-
centered system which provides learning opportunities for all Connecticut public school
students.
Andrew Feinstein, Attorney, Special Education Equity for Kids in Connecticut:
This bill fully funds a revised ECS formula immediately, which is revised to focus more money
on districts with high concentrations of poverty and with large numbers of English Learners.
Let's not defer attacking structural racism by failing to fund a more equitable school financing
system. Yes, this bill would be tagged with a fiscal note of probably close to half a billion
dollars but rather than giving up, this Committee needs to pass the legislation.
Connecticut Charter Schools Association: Ruben Felipe, Executive Director,
Yamuna Menon;
Students should be equitably funded in a unified funding formula that accounts for their
learning needs, regardless of where they come or their background or family circumstances.
This is why we support applying the ECS formula to public charter school students and all
public school students.
Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Inc.;
Vanessa Jenkins, East Hartford Board of Education;
Connecticut Association of School Business Officials;
Maegan Parrott, Director, Step Up New London
The economic challenges faced at all of levels of government are felt most intensively at the
local level. Many districts have faced several years of 0% budget increases. Given the
number of new initiatives and reforms put in place, this is a time where we need to maintain
our commitment to our public schools. CABE also urges removing the cap on the Special
Education Cost grant.
ConnCAN: Subira Gordon, Executive Director; Veronica Rosario, Parent Fellow
This bill simplifies the formula by including all public schools. It sends more money where it's
needed most: for students in concentrated poverty and English Language Learners. Finally, it
sends the needed money now, not ten years from now.
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Educators for Excellence-Connecticut: Daniel Pearson, State Director;
Mikaelle Olivier, Outreach Director
With a $639 million funding gap between white districts and everyone else, we cannot say we
are taking the needs of our students seriously. Connecticut has some of the best performing
public schools in the country in majority white school districts, while having some of the worst
performing public schools in majority BIPOC districts.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
Billy Bromage; Melody Gallagher, Teacher; Illisa Kelman;
Matt Wilcox, Vice-President, New Haven Board of Education
Granting equal funding to charters, when they operate with little to no accountability to the
public, and do not accept all the students that come to them to be educated like traditional
public schools do, amounts to a theft of much-needed funds from the public by private
organizations. This will in effect drain dollars away from our most vulnerable students.
Janet Cling: The specific language on lines 307-311 and Lines 1095-1098 legislates double
funding of ECS education costs to cities and explicitly states that school districts will continue
to be paid for 42,000 kids in CT who are NOT enrolled in those district schools. Its to keep
union teachers employed when theyre not actually teaching full-time.
Jennifer Drury:
Supporting free public education is the key to our success, especially in New Haven.
Deborah B Schultz: There is no reason why school districts which do not actually teach the
student should continue to receive money. By rights, the money should be spent in the
schools where the students are being taught. Students in charter, magnet, open choice and
vocational/tech schools are far more successful, imagine what those schools could do with
100% of the money.
Reported by: Dallas Emerle Date: 3/23/2021
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Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-262h, 10-264l, 10-65
ED Joint Favorable Change of Reference: 10-262h, 10-264l, 10-65